Sydney Pro Stock driver Bill Perdikaris says he finally has a car that is responding to set up changes and is ready to be a surprise packet when the ANDRA championship begins on October 20 at Adelaide International Raceway.

Off-season testing has seen many Pro Stock teams producing tough numbers and Perdikaris joined them with a 7.06sec run in the Cargo Logistics/ENG Haulage Ford Escort at Willowbank Raceway that had the potential to be even quicker.

“The run felt smooth and pinned me back in the seat, but I had to abort it at three quarter track when a valve spring broke,” he said. “We replaced the broken spring and machined the clutch to see if we could back up the 7.06 but a whole season of excessive tyre shake took its toll and it cracked the snout of the cam shaft.”

Perdikaris endured a tough 2011/12 campaign where he attended every championship round but ended up with four first round losses and one DNQ (did not qualify) for his trouble, finishing 13th in the points.

Despite the mechanical issues in testing Perdikaris believes the team has turned a corner and has the capability to take it up to teams such as Shane Tucker’s Monster Energy outfit and the successful sibling duo of Aaron and Tyronne Tremayne.

“We have been chasing our tails for the last 12 months with rear shock issues which has held us back but now that the shocks are functioning correctly I believe there is a lot more left in this program; the car is responding to the changes that we are making ,” he said.

“We’ve spent a lot of time behind the scenes in the last 12 months on cylinder head development and I am confident stage two of our engine program will be making some serious horsepower.”

In a category where just a few horsepower can be the difference between a record setter and a non-qualifier, it could be enough to push Perdikaris to the top.

He is looking forward to the challenge of the first Pro Stock round in Adelaide since December 1999.

“We will be attending round one in Adelaide, it’s a loose track but has good air and if teams get the set ups right it might surprise us all and put some big numbers on the score board,” he said.